Business & Community Training Corporate Learning

The Northwest Arkansas Community College offers affordable green job training and credentialing programs in energy efficiency. Individuals wanting to further expand their knowledge and utilize existing skills in the home performance and commercial industry, or looking for CEUs are ideal candidates. Several courses are designed not only for an individual, but also with the ability to customize programs that fit specific organizational needs.

NWACC’s partnerships and affiliations with professional organizations in the green job industries, including the Building Performance Institute (BPI), result in our students obtaining credentials that are portable and recognized throughout the U.S.

Classes

NWACC offers a variety of delivery methods for training. Class range from one day, three days, five days, two weeks, and semester based. Some courses are one semester long and allow more scheduling flexibility for our students.

This hybrid on-line and instructor led course will teach individuals how to evaluate Green Building principles, design, construction, and maintenance techniques and practices that minimize a building's total environmental impact. This course covers building science principles, health and safety issues, energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, reduced community impact, homeowner education and maintenance, and sustainable site development. Students will learn hands-on in the lab.

This hybrid on-line and instructor led course will teach individuals how to evaluate the energy performance, comfort and safety of a house through a comprehensive, whole house diagnostic procedure. This course covers building science principles, health and safety issues, envelope and duct leakage testing, insulation evaluation, and combustion safety testing. By using the whole house performance based approach, students will address a comprehensive range of interrelated building issues and be able to provide clients with a more comfortable, safe, and energy efficient home. Students will learn hands on in the lab.

Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst Hybrid & Live Training

This hybrid or live course will teach participants how to evaluate the energy performance, comfort, and safety of a house through a comprehensive, whole-house diagnostic procedure which will open your eyes to a new way of thinking about residential buildings. Learn how the house works as a system, why some homes fail, and how to use the latest building science technology to help resolve residential heating, cooling, base load, and air leakage problems. A BPI Building Analyst is certified to conduct blower-door tests, combustion appliance inspection and repair, air quality testing including carbon monoxide detections, duct testing, and airflow testing.

A BPI Building Analyst must re-certify every three years by either re-taking exams or by completing continuing education from a BPI affiliate; NWACC is an affiliate of BPI.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for energy auditors, utility customer service representatives, housing inspectors, HVAC contractors, insulators, builders and remodelers. While many contractors seeking BPI certification already have extensive experience in the building industry, NEACC’s intensive training, which includes one week of classroom training, two days of field training and both online and field exams, is a perfect introduction to home energy efficiency and weatherization for anyone at any skill level.

Certification Requirements:

To receive a BPI Building Analyst Certification, one must pass both a written and field exam. The two-hour, 100-question online exam requires a passing score of at least 70%; the two-hour field exam requires demonstrated competency with the energy audit process and equipment. BPI does not mandate formal training prior to the exams, but a classroom or online course is highly recommended.

(BPI)-Building Science Principles Certificate

BPI has added a new course offering that affords trades people, realtors, students, and a host of others currently in the business of performing home services, an opportunity to learn the basics of home performance, a systematic approach to improving the comfort, health, safety, energy efficiency and durability of a home. NWACC is offering the one-day course to those new to Building Sciences and certified BPI professionals for continuing ed. credits/units (CEU’s) from BPI. Earning the Building Science Principles (BSP) certificate can be the first step into the world of energy efficient home performance. Building science demonstrates:

How various components of the home interact to affect the home’s overall performance

The relationship between the building envelope, heating, A/C, insulation, mechanical ventilation, lighting, appliances and other systems of the home.

How all of these systems affect the comfort, health and safety of occupants and durability of the home.

Why improving the energy efficiency of the home is the first step toward solar, geothermal or other renewable energy improvements.

Course Objective: BPI provides a certificate of knowledge upon the passing their 100 question online exam. Students will be provided a BPI 258 page print version reference guidebook to learn and study from. NWACC has designed a study class to help guide those interested in taking the 100 question quiz, necessary to obtain the certificate and earn CEU’s. The objective is to provide support and review to those who prefer to study with a highly experienced group and avoid the added fees of retesting. The class is designed to help students understand the materials provided and then take the online test within 1 year. NWACC instructors are certified by BPI and will be available to answer any questions on the material from the guidebook, in addition, we will offer:

Overview of BPI and its role

Online testing and how it works

Chapter by chapter review of only the content of concern

Audience: Building trade professionals, HVAC contractors, students, realtors, home appraisers, home inspectors, or anyone who is considering entering the home performance industry or needing required CEU's. This introductory class will enlighten you to the potentials of the home performance industry and your business potential within it. By taking this course, you will better understand home performance and if you determine that providing the actual installation services considered under home performance, you should then consider more stringent certification, such as Analyst and Envelope.

Business owners or managers who oversee BPI certified programns or employees on the front lines of the residential building trade, who don't need to be certified in the hands-on technical skills learned in other BPI Certification courses, such as Analyst and Envelope, would greatly benefit from this certificate.

Our instructors are heavily certified in the major Building Performance Institute Certification programs and have first-hand field experience. NWACC is a BPI certified test center and our exam proctors are also BPI certified. We have extensive hands on displays to learn from.

Cost: $239 for the one day class (usually 8:30am - 4:00pm). This cost includes a study text ($119 value) and a BPI on-line code to take the exam ($99 value).